Initiated by a significant number of outside investments, the NMSU Arrowhead Business and Research Park is on its way to providing new job opportunities for students.
Formation of the research park, located between Interstates 10 and 25, has created an area for companies who are seeking to partner with NMSU and are willing to offer well-paid jobs to students.
"We're working with a mix of people," said Pam Wood, project manager for the Arrowhead Center. "We're looking at jobs anywhere from cooperative internships with companies, engineering jobs and alternative energy [jobs]."
Woods explained that currently, the research park is comprised of only one building; however, construction of a new 15,000 square foot building is in progress.
Companies who have been investing with the research park were not disclosed, but Wood stated three private industries and two government agencies have expressed interest without prior advertisement or recruitment.
"One of my goals is to try to develop synergies with some of the future [companies] like the core technologies associated with commercial space, [in order] to have applications in several different areas," Wood said.
Kevin Boberg, CEO of the Arrowhead Center, explained the funding for each building would come from a private sector.
"[Companies] will invest in buildings to provide students with direct learning experiences," Boberg said. "We're going to provide students an educational opportunity in support of the economic development of the state and we're not using public dollars to do that."
Boberg said the Arrowhead Center, which oversees the research park, will focus on fulfilling three tasks.
The center will allow students to engage in a directive learning experience, where education is not confined to the classroom, fulfill the mission of NMSU as a land-grant university and will concentrate on enterprise.
"Some of the most creative ideas we work with to commercialize are from students," Boberg added.
As a part of providing careers for students, Vickie Galindo, director of the Arrowhead Center workforce development unit, said the research park, once completed, will provide an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 jobs.
"Whatever [companies] come to us and express some interest, we will work with them [and] hopefully build to accommodate their needs," Galindo said.
Galindo said the facilities in the research park could be built to suit any type of company.
Galindo said any companies, from those involved in aerospace and wind energy, to government and federal state agencies, can be a part of the park.
Galindo added the park does not have a fixed number of buildings, but once a building reaches a certain carrying capacity, the research park will have to expand.
"If we recruit companies, I think that would be a great experience for the students and opportunities for work-force development," Wood said.
Expansion of Payne Street to Sam Steele Way will be a designated part of the project, Boberg said, giving people easier access to the park.
For the next few years, expansion of the park will continue, but Wood clarified the funding is coming from private money and at some point the money would revert back to NMSU.
"We're hoping the businesses and companies that do come to the park are going to have a relationship [with] the research clusters of NMSU," Wood said. "We hope they are going to hire our students, and once [students] graduate, we hope they [keep them]."
For more information on the Arrowhead Center and new research park, visit www.arrowheadcenter.org.
Be the first to comment on this article!